Little Stories
by Littlecamo8
Summary: Just little How To Train Your Dragon Stories I occasionally write. I will not update regularly and will probably not take requests. Each chapter (unless said otherwise) is a one- shot and won't affect the other chapters.
1. In The Light Of

Hiccup frowned, hood over his head, hands stubbornly in his pockets, ear buds shouting nonsense in his head. Why did he have to be here? He never even met this girl before. But his mom was her godmother, and his family would be taking care of her for a while.

He didn't even know the girl and he hated her. He was losing his game room because she needed a room. His game room! His stuff was being moved to the basement. The cold, echoing, dark basement with a single pathetic light dangling from a thick wire.

His green eyes sparkled at the sight of his beloved mother. Her soft face beaming at him and his dad, her eyes sparkling with love.

When she finally made her way over, Hiccup hugged her. "Hiccup!"

"Hi, mom," he chuckled, lowering the volume in his ear buds. "Hope you didn't miss me too bad."

She pulled away, laughing at his joke, and rested a tender hand on his cheek. He leaned into the warmth, smiling.

Stoick then picked her up, pulling her into a loving kiss. They pulled away seconds later, and his mom gestured to the girl Hiccup's age.

"Stoick, Hiccup, this is Emmie, my goddaughter. Emmie, this is my husband Stoick and son Hiccup."

"Hi," her little voice squeaked, but no one heard it over the background noise.

"Nice to meet you, lass!" Stoick bellowed, reaching over to pull her into a hug, but Emmie did something Hiccup had never seen before.

She jerked her arms over her head, whimpering and curling her shoulders inward, bending her back to make herself smaller.

Stoick paused with a frown, glancing at his wife's solemn expression. "Val," he started.

"Emmie's parents are unable to take care of her until the courts settle things," she vaguely explained. "Emmie, relax, no one is going to hurt you."

Once Emmie calmed down- and after receiving many odd stares- they made their way to the car. His parents got the front seat while he and Emmie got the back.

"That's my spot," came the frail voice.

Hiccup didn't understand what she said over his music. He took a bud out and asked, "Huh?" from his seat in the car.

"That's my spot. The back left. I always sit there."

"Can't you sit on the right?" he snapped.

"Hiccup!" his mother scolded.

With a huff, Hiccup scooted over, "Mi'lady."

"T- thank you."

Emmie was annoyingly quiet and attention hogging. His parents dotted on her, making Hiccup take care of her at school, show her around town, introduce her to his friends, make her happy, bla bla bla. Hiccup was sick of it!

And worse, Emmie did the weirdest and creepiest things. She woke up early every morning- even on weekends- and made everyone breakfast. She always sat quietly in her chair. The first time it happened, his father asked, "Emmie, aren't you going to eat?" since her place was empty.

Emmie frowned, confused, but shook her head. "N- no."

"Make yourself something to eat, too, dear," his mother told her.

"N- no, t- thank you. I'm g- good."

"Emmie, you need to eat."

"I did."

"You did? When?"

"Last night. Remember?"

"Emmie, you didn't even eat half of your plate. Eat some breakfast."

And she rocked- constantly. Back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. There was no stopping her! If Hiccup snapped at her to stop, she would for a few minutes before starting again. She did it in the car, as she read, in school, at the dining table, even (though he didn't know how) when she walked!

Her stutter was worse than his- he at least outgrew his. And he hated how long it took her to answer a simple question. He hated how she flinched every time someone shouted, jumped, or raised their arms.

"Has anyone ever hit you?" his parents had asked.

Eyes downcast, like always, she shook her head. "N- no."

Either she was lying about being hit, or she was pretending to flinch, he concluded. And why would she lie? She was safe there. No one was going to hit her.

Another annoying tick was her constant questioning. "Are you mad? Are you mad? Are you mad? Are you gonna hit me? Are you gonna hit me? Are you gonna hit me?" over and over again.

No! No! No! Why couldn't she just shut up?

Whatever Emmie asked, she got.

"Was I good? Can we get ice cream?" she would ask on days she didn't have an anxiety attack.

"Yes, you were good," his parents always cooed.

Though she didn't like to be touched, she slowly let Hiccup and his parents touch her. They could even hug her good night now, something that took three weeks. Some nights she recoiled and denied a hug, but they were becoming fewer and farther between.

Hiccup had just about had it with Emmie. She denied most abuse, and he believed her wholeheartedly. Why didn't his parents and the therapist believe her? Why did they constantly ask? Why did she even need therapy? Sure, she was a tad strange, but that didn't mean she was mental or something.

He was annoyed and missed being the only child in the house.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Hiccup groaned, waking up to the annoying thumping noise. What the Hell was that sound?

A boom of thunder made even him jump, and he heard a cry from the room over. Emmie's room, he realized. Cautiously, he exited his room, walking up to Emmie's closed door.

He heard quiet whimpers and cries from the other side. Was she crying? Did the thunder scare her that much? Sure, he knew she didn't like loud noises, but this was just a silly storm. Nothing to be afraid of.

He knocked. "Emmie?" It went quiet. "Emmie, can I come in?"

Another boom of thunder clapped, and Emmie released a loud cry of panic.

"Emmie, I'm coming in," he warned, opening the door. The bed was a mess but empty. No pillows, and the top blanket was gone. The main lights were out, but the lamp on the bedside table was on, humming. "Emmie?"

A sob came out. "S- s- sorry t- to w- wake you. I- I'm f- fine."

Hiccup walked forward, shutting the door behind him. He walked around the bed, seeing Emmie huddled in the corner, tears streaming down her already stained face. She had been crying for a while.

"You're obviously not fine," he retorted, calmly. He lowered himself to the ground, making himself her height. "Let me help you."

"P- please, I'm sorry I- I woke you. D- don't hit me!" she wept, ducking her face into her knees.

"Shh, shh. Hey, I'm not gonna hit you. I promise," he cooed. He slowly pulled her into his lap. She struggled at first, then let him wrap his arms protectively around her as another clap of thunder made her jump and tense. "Shh," he soothed, running his hand up and down her back, the other running through her hair. "You're safe now. No one is going to hurt you. I promise, you're safe here." He rocked her shaking form slowly, whispering soothing words into her ear.

Every time thunder clapped, the cycle repeated. Emmie would sob, Hiccup would sooth her into silent cries, she might even stopped crying for a minute, then a loud boom threw her into another panic.

But Hiccup remained patient.

"Please, daddy, don't hit me! I'm trying! I promise, I'm try-ing!" And she would wiggle, cupping her cheek and sobbing. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Shh, Emmie, it's me. You're safe. You're safe."

Then her imaginary scene changed.

"Mommy, please don't leave me alone with him. Mommy! Mommy, please! Please! Please, don't leave me alone with him! Mommy!" Then her hands clawed at her throat and she made choking sounds. "Please," she would rasp. "C- can't b- breathe. P- please."

"Shh. You're safe. You're safe," he cooed, not knowing what else to do.

Finally, she squirmed out of his arms, crawling to the wall.

"What are you- hey, stop that!"

Hiccup pulled her back by the third time she smashed her head into the wall, making a deep bang!

That must've been what woke him up, he concluded, holding Emmie onto his lap, trapping her arms at her sides.

"Emmie, calm down. Calm down," he grunted, struggling. "You're safe. No one is going to hurt you, but I can't let you hurt yourself, either. Emmie, stop. Emmie, stop. Stop!"

She let out strangled cries, blindly fighting him, but he was stronger and managed to pin her to the floor. Her eyes remained unfocused as she shook her head side to side. After a handful of seconds, she started banging the back of her head against the floor.

"Emmie! Emmie, stop!" Hiccup panicked, releasing one hand to force her to stop. She hit him multiple times, but he did his best to ignore it and kept her from hurting herself. "Emmie, stop. Calm down. It's okay. You're safe. Shh, shh. You're safe. You're safe."

She eventually calmed in his arms, eyes wide but unfocused, waiting.

"Shh, you're safe," Hiccup repeated, re-positioning her on his lap so it wasn't so awkward for him.

Hiccup was starting to relax after a few minutes of soft echoes in the background, none loud enough to set Emmie off. Then, all his hard work went down the drain as an unusually loud clap shook the house.

Emmie let out a scream, covering her ears. Hiccup's arms tightened around her as she tried to flop backwards. "Please!" begged Emmie. "D- d- don't h- hit m- me!"

"Shh," Hiccup shushed once more. "I won't hurt you, I promise. You're safe now. You're safe."

Emmie calmed down quickly, but her tears didn't slow. Her small hands clung to his tear-soaked shirt. The cycle repeated a few more times, and each time, he found it easier to calm her down, until she eventually fell asleep.

Hiccup couldn't help but smile at Emmie's now peaceful face. It was something he hadn't seen before. He never realized just how tensed and guarded she was before tonight.

Feeling an affection he hadn't felt towards her before, he leaned forward, kissing her forehead.

"Don't worry," he whispered. "I'll never hurt you. No one will ever hurt you again, I promise."


	2. Under the Radar

Mabel was the quiet girl in school. She had struggling straight A's, never spoke up, never raised her hand, messy hair, wrinkled and tattered clothes, and never drew attention.

She needed no attention. She needed to have no friends, to be on no one's radar, to be in no ones thoughts. Why? Hiccup had no clue, but the beautiful brown haired mud brown eyes girl was a mystery he was determined to unravel.

Starting today.

The bell rung, ending class. The teacher dismissed them, and students shuffled off to their next class. Some students found a friend or three and chatted while they could. A few, specifically Mabel, stayed silent, her eyes low, clutching her current book in a deadly grip as she swung her dirty backpack over her shoulders.

"Hey, Mabel," Hiccup greeted.

Mabel looked shocked- or maybe surprised. No one spoke to her at school, and she didn't bother to talk to anyone in return. What was the rare popular nerd doing talking to her?

"Can I help you?" she responded, with more venom than she meant.

He held his hands up in surrender, walking beside her in the hallway. "Relax. I just wanted to know if you wanted to hang out this afternoon."

"Pass," she immediately dismissed, not waiting a second after he finished the offer.

"Why not?"

"Don't want to," was the curt reply. Fifth period was her last real class of the day, her next being study (which she was allowed to leave campus for).

"Please, I would really like to be your friend," he tried.

"Don't need any. Bye."

They walked into their next class, but Mabel hurried to the corner and pulled out her math notebook. Math was one of the subjects she struggled in, but she needed to keep her grades up if she wanted to take care of those she cared about while attending collage at the same time.

Hiccup politely asked the girl sitting beside her to switch seat with him. The girl complied, having a major crush on the tall and handsome boy, but Mabel rolled her eyes, uninterested.

"Please, Mae. Just one afternoon. Doesn't matter when."

"No, not interested. Please leave me alone, I really need to pass this class."

"You're making straight A's," he commented.

"Barely," Mabel muttered, zoning in on yesterday's notes.

The teacher was strict, starting class and demanding silence the moment the bell went off. Class was long and boring, but Mabel did her best to focus.

Class only stopped at the bell, and Mabel hurried to pack up her belongings.

"You know, I can tutor you in math," the boy offered, following her to her locker. His was a few lockers down, and took the advantage to also shuffle his stuff around.

"No, thanks. I'll manage. I don't need help." And Hiccup had the feeling that last one meant for more than just school.

"Of course you don't need help, but I don't mind helping anyways."

Mabel slammed her locker and stomped off. Glad they were the only two students in school with the same schedule, he followed her.

She quickly noticed. She spun and her heels, halfway down the block.

"Look, I don't know what your problem is, but you need to quit following me and leave me alone! I don't need help; I don't needs friends, okay?" She stormed off, not waiting for a reply.

It was then he realized no one knew where she lived. With her tattered and wrinkled clothes, some coming apart with holes, it was obvious she didn't come from money, but she was walking away from the poor side of town, where the apartments and worn houses were located.

This time, at a distance, he followed her. She lead him to a small string of businesses, diving into a small alley between two buildings. She came out moments later, smiling with a toddler in her arms, another a couple years older at her side. She pulled an apple from lunch out of her bag, handing it to the girl at her side. She handed the toddler in her arms a banana from breakfast.

He followed her down to the elementary school, where they waited until three more kids joined them then walked to the nearby park, halfway between the school and the alley. Soon afterwards, two more joined from the direction the middle school was in. They also handed food to the youngest two.

They gathered at a picnic table, squeezing together. The little ones with barely any homework finished quickly with little help from Mabel. She checked their work before letting them pack up and run off to play. One by one, they went to the playground.

It took a bit longer, but the two older ones eventually walked off, too, leaving Mabel to study by herself.

Seven kids, he counted. She was taking care of seven kids. But was she alone?

He dared to walk up to her. "Hey, Mabel."

She glared up at him. "What do you want?" A young girl shouted over to her, and Mabel paused our conversation to shout enthusiastically back.

"So, they your siblings?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes, now go away."

"Where are your parents?"

"None of your business, Haddock, so get lost."

"Please, I just want to help. You can't raise seven kids on your own. Not alone, and not at this age."

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do!" she shot back.

The youngest one wobbled up to her, calling her, "Momma, Momma!"

She smiled, softly, lifting him onto her lap.

"Hey, mom," one of the middle schoolers called, walking up to her. "You're doing laundry tonight, right?"

"Yes, Gail, don't worry."

"Mom, huh?" Hiccup asked.

"Who are you?" the boy demanded, tense.

"A friend of your mother, apparently."

"We aren't friends," she cut in.

But the boy beamed. "Great! Mabel needs friends."

"Who are you?"

"Mae's brother."

"But you called her mom."

"Because, to us, she is."

"Gail, stop," Mabel warned. "Look, Hiccup, I appreciate you wanting to help, but we're fine on out own, and I don't need any help or friends, so please leave me alone."

"I'll buy dinner, for everyone, if you let me spend today with you."

She froze, looking up at Gail and the other kids who had gathered around. One little girl asked, "Chicken nuggets?" with hopeful green eyes.

"As many as you want," he promised, knowing he had the money. "But only if I can spend the evening with you guys."

"Please, mommy, please! I'm so hungry!" a little boy begged.

Mabel sighed, but agreed, "Fine, Haddock, but you better keep good on your promise. Come on guys, looks like it's dinner time."

Winter was coming, making it dark and cool early. Sunset was already falling upon them, and Hiccup witnessed Mabel taking a mental note of it with a sigh.

"Where do you guys live?" asked Hiccup.

"None of your business," the middle school girl snapped. Though e could tell she was hungry, too, she was not too pleased of his methods to spend time with Mabel.

"In that alley?" he guessed.

Mabel's eyes widened. "You followed me?!"

"Yes, I wanted to know where you lived! You've never shown anyone where you live."

"Jeez, I wonder why?" she replied sarcastically. "I would just love to announce to the whole school I live in an alley. Yeah, that wouldn't get us separated in foster care, not at all."

He bit his lip, knowing he struck a nerve and realizing why they lived like that. They wanted to stick together.

They walked into the warm building, and Hiccup let them walk up to the counter and order a mountain of a meal. The sum was larger than he predicted, making him cringe, but he offered them ice cream with their meal and paid anyways.

The kids happily munched on ice cream until food was called, then they poured the nuggets and fries into the middle, making it a free for all.

Hiccup noticed Mabel stay back. She only grabbed a small handful, watching the others eat. He watched her keep track of how many each kid ate, including the middle schoolers, who waited for the little kids to slow before they started chowing down.

The little girl climbed onto his lap. "Thank you!" she beamed, leaning her head on his chest.

He looked up at Mabel, smiling. "You're welcome, sweetie."

"My name is Gwen."

"Well, then, you're welcome, Gwen," he corrected himself, smiling.

"What's your name?" the second little girl asked. "I'm Katie."

"Hiccup. Hiccup Haddock."

The middle school boy snickered. "Gail," he introduced.

"Tommy," the little boy said.

"Bailey," the middle school girl admitted. "The babies are Yui and Umi."

"I'm not a baby!" the little girl protested.

"You don't go to school yet, so you're a baby," Tommy teased.

"Tommy," Mabel warned. "She just means you're young, Yui, that's all." The little girl huffed but kept quiet.

"You know, winter's coming," Hiccup told Mabel.

"Kids, why don't you play on the playground while you can," Bailey suggested, and even Gail left to play.

"What's it to you?" Mabel asked.

"Well, my family has a spare room. It wouldn't be much, it's the smallest room in the house, but I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind you renting it or something."

"Don't you think if we had any money, we would rent a motel or something?" Bailey snapped.

"I mean, through chores and stuff. And maybe you might be able to get a job, Mabel, to help out. I'll even pitch in with expenses if you want." He was careful not to use the word 'need' in the offer.

"I'll sleep on it," Mabel settled. "Though I doubt your parents would welcome eight children into their house for all of winter."

"You'd be surprised. My mom has a heart of gold."

"Absolutely not!" his dad bellowed that evening.

"Wh- but dad!" he protested.

"No, son, we can't afford eight extra mouths to feed!"

"I can help with expenses, I have that job with Gobber," I started.

"Yeah, for college, not for some girl trying to take advantage of you!"

"She is not trying to take advantage of me, dad!" I shouted back. "Ugh, she's so infuriating! I try to help, and all she freaking does is push me away! She barely let me pay for dinner, and if it wasn't for the kids being hungry, she probably wouldn't have. She's just so- ugh!- stubborn!" I panted, ending my little rant.

"Stoick, he's in love," his mother cooed.

Stoick sighed. "Fine, son, but only for the winter, and they will have rules and responsibilities."

"Yes! Thank you, dad! Just one question: can you help me convince her to stay?"

"What? You mean she doesn't know?" his mother asked.

"I offered, but she kind of declined. But she's raising seven kids and herself! The youngest two aren't even in school. They'll die if they have to stay in the cold all day everyday."

"Oh, Stoick," she worried.

"Son, I think we should call the authorities," his father reasoned.

"No! We can't! I promised!"

"Hiccup-" his mother started.

"No, mom! They can't be split up! It's just not fair! Mabel is almost eighteen. She's a hard working student (straight A's) and all the kids are very obedient and well mannered. Mabel has worked too hard and too long for us to throw her hard work down the toilet. We can't turn them in!"

"Valka," his father began, but his mother took her boy into her arms.

"Yes, they can stay," she concluded. "I have never seen you so determined, so brave. We'll work around the finances, son. They can stay."

He hugged her back, "Thanks, mom." He jumped back a minute later, a sparkle in his eyes. "This is so great, I have to find them and tell them immediately. Bye, mom. Bye, dad. Be back soon!" He tossed on his jacket, dashing outside.

"This might change Hiccup for the better," Valka smiled.

Her husband rested a big but gentle hand upon her shoulders. "I know, Val. I know she will."

Hiccup ran to the alley, finding it deserted. Not even the blankets forming a palette were there. He was devastated. Then he remembered: laundry night! They probably went to the laundry mat!

He looked around, seeing it slightly down the street. He ran to it, blindly running in front of the car, not noticing it until it was too late.

It wasn't for another week that Hiccup woke up, an IV in his hand and a tired but familiar girl at his side. She rocked two young children in her arms, dark bags under her eyes. She looked up, nearly waking the children in her delight.

He was fitted for a prosthetic (leg) the next day and sent home. His mother and Mabel promised to help him with his physical therapy and to make sure he got plenty of rest.

There was, however, some confusion.

Hiccup woke up from the coma, delighted to see his wife Mabel and his seven adopted children, all of whom he adored and loved and considered his own. It took days to wrap his head around the fact: he had dreamt their marriage and life together. It wasn't real. He was thankful for Mabel's kindness and patience through it all. And the younger kids were quick to call him "Daddy," excited to have one. They even called his parents Grandma and Grandpa.

But the middle schoolers didn't pretend. He could see the hope in their eyes, especially Gail's, but they were closed off, determined to keep Hiccup and his family at an emotional distance. Though he didn't know it, they had been abandoned before, and wanted to remain strong when it happened again.

Mabel picked up a part time job four days a week to help on bills and save for college. They were all signed up for free lunch, giving them free breakfast and lunch on school days, but dinner and weekends were a different story, and the kids would've eaten them out of house and home if Mabel hadn't helped with money.

His mother adored the younger kids, surprised at the independence they had while Mabel was busy or wasn't around. Especially little Yui and Umi, who kept her company while the others were at school.

They brought laughter and joy into the house once more, and they didn't mind sharing the small spare room. Bailey, Katie, and Gwen shared the queen bed. Mabel and Hiccup had carried a spare twin bed from the garage and laid it on the floor, giving Tommy and Gail a bed to share. Yui often slept at the foot of the bed by Gwen and Katie, sleeping over their blanket and being covered by her own.

Mabel often cuddled with Hiccup in his bed, and Umi joined, worming himself in the middle. The door was kept open, a demand from parents and Bailey to make sure nothing inappropriate was going on.

And Mabel eventually agreed to be Hiccup's girlfriend. And Hiccup's coma dream came (mostly) true, living happily with his large family.


	3. One Night

**One Night**

The boy was panting, half asleep, his arm being painfully dragged.

"Gobber," he whined. "Can we slow down?" His sentence was distorted by a yawn, but his point was understood.

"No, laddie. Hurry up," his father's best friend commanded, his voice barely a whisper.

"But I'm tired."

A hand slapped over his mouth before he could object further.

"Shh," he was ordered.

The little boy nodded, recognizing the worry and stress in his godfather's voice. For a man who was usually pretty laid back, he was on edge. More than that, but the boy didn't know another word for it.

The hand moved away from his mouth as the large man peered around the corner. He could hear shouts. When he focused on what they were saying, he could hear his name. People were looking for him. He didn't quite understand what was going on, but he knew he didn't want to be found. Gobber would keep him safe. Those people wanted something bad. Maybe to hurt him like his big cousin did.

He didn't want that.

He pressed himself into Gobber's side, and the big man looked back, seeing the fear in the young boy's expression.

"Don't worry, laddie," the man soothed, quietly. "I will ney let them hurt tae."

"Promise?" the young boy whimpered.

The man nodded.

They waited for the shouts to fade before continuing. The boy stayed close to his protector, not like the grip on his arm gave him much of a choice. He did his best to ignore the pain and stumbled along.

They made it to the servants quarters. Most had their own rooms. They were small rooms, but gave privacy.

Anyways, the man and the boy made their way through the silent hall. Walking into the stables, the boy watched the door be barricaded. Then two horses were prepared for the escape.

"Come on."

The boy was lifted onto a horse. Despite his small size, he had been riding for as long as he could remember, and expertly grabbed the reins.

"Stay close to me, laddie."

Before the boy could respond, a loud thump sounded at the door.

"Here!" someone shouted. "The door is jammed. The Prince must be in here."

"Come on!"

"But what about Dad?"

"No time, boy! Go!"

Following after Gobber, the boy leaned forward on his horse. Just as they left the stables, galloping out the door leading to outside the castle walls, the door busted down.

The boy gasped, looking behind them as the people hunting him quickly grabbed horses to follow.

"Gobber!" the boy cried, his voice rising an octave in fear.

"Just keep going!"

But while he was skilled, he was small. He couldn't go at top speed without being jostled too much. Slowly, the chasers caught up, the riders reaching out to snatch the boy.

He let out a yelp, barely nudging the horse to the side in time to stay free.

"Laddie!"

Gobber turned his horse around, using his hook hand to knock the lead rider off his horse.

"Gobber!"

"Keep going, boy!" the man barked, taking on more men. "Remember where ye father tell ye tae go?"

"Yeah," the boy nodded, inching his horse away from the fight but not leaving the only trustworthy person he knew (besides his father) behind.

"Hiccup, go!"

With a silent nod, the boy pushed forward, trying to force himself not to look back.

He failed.

Gobber had spared a glance at him, smiling as he took down another man.

*A week later*

The young prince worked hard, helping the mute elder as much as he could. She grew plenty of herbs and vegetables and another man brought meat every few days, but it was lonely. He had a reasonable amount of chores, but with his determination, he finished them quickly and often found himself bored.

The man who brought supplies from the nearby village broke into the clearing.

"Hey, boy," he smiled at the small lad of eight years.

"Hi, Sven," the boy greeted with a smile. "Any news of the King?"

A darkness seeped through the man's eyes at the reminder. He knew who the boy was, and had promised to keep his whereabouts a secret. He knelt down, setting his hands solemnly on the boy's shoulders. "I'm sorry, my prince. The king was killed in the revolt."

The boy froze. "No. No, that can't be right. My dad- he can't be."

The elder hobbled out of her little cottage, looking knowingly at the duo. She set her fail hand on the boy's shoulder before using her staff to scribble in the dirt.

Hiccup read his assignment and said, "Yes, Gothi," knowing the work was just a distraction. But it was welcomed one. He ran into the forest surrounding them, forgetting a basket to collect the wild berries she wanted. But they didn't call him back.

 **AN: should I make a part two?**


	4. Protect Him

Stoick squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing a hand against his temple. He entertained the idea of blocking out Mildew and his daily rant. Sometimes he wondered how the old man had lived so long. He wished the old man would die, as cruel as it may be.

He sighed, cutting Mildew off mid-sentence. He stood up, walking off. If he stayed any longer, his head would explode.

"Stoick? Where yer heading? I ain't done talkin' to yer," the bitter man spat. Stoick ignored him, angering the jealous man. "Ever since yer son died yer haven't been the same. He was a traitor. A traitor! He loved the same beasts who killed yer wife, his mother! He got what he deserved."

Stoick stopped and turned. His hands clenched into tight fists. He had forbidden anyone from mentioning his late wife and son. Yet this cranky old man dared. . .

Mildew stopped himself from continuing. His cold eyes sparkled with both amusement and fear. He loved pressing buttons, seeing how far he could go, but this was the chief. He had to be careful around the chief.

Stoick marched up to him, not hesitating to wrap his meaty hands around the frail throat. A choked sound escaped Mildew as he dropped his staff, hands clawing at the other.

"Don't. Ever. Call. Hiccup. A traitor," the chief growled, lifting Mildew off the ground. "He died protecting this village. The dragons are our allies now. Am I clear?"

Mildew rasped a, "Yes," gasping for air when Stoick dropped him. Without another word, he marched off.

No one dared to stop him. Everyone knew to let him be when he was angry. He was going to be Stoick the Vindictive before he became Stoick the Vast.

Tears pricked at his eyes, calling out for Skullcrusher. His friend was a fairly new friend, one that protected him when Toothless and him had gone for a flight and crashed. He never could stomach the dragon's favorite way of flying: fast and dangerous.

But after five years, Toothless was giving up. He no longer tied to be happy. It was like Hiccup had died all over again.

When Hiccup first died, Toothless went into a prolonged stage of mourning. He refuses to fly, barely ate, and never left Hiccup's room. He spent most of his days curled up beside the bed, digging his head in the blanket and pillow he knocked down. Toothless was the only one who went into the dusty room. Stoick wasn't sure if the boy's scent lingered or if time had replaced it. He was too scared to find out.

After a while, Toothless let Stoick and Astrid take him for short flights. The dragon had too much energy to stay on the ground for long. Sometimes, Stoick could tell, Toothless would pretend his rider was Hiccup. Something about the way the dragon held himself was. . . happier. But reality always returned, and the dragon soon landed.

For the past few weeks, Toothless was going back into locking himself up. He refused to leave the house. Not even his friend Stormfly could coax him out to play.

Skullcrusher landed in front of Stoick heavily, leaving craters in his wake. Stoick climbed on, letting Skullcrusher chose the direction of their flight. He just needed to get away for a few hours.

He nudged Skullcrusher's side, and the dragon went faster. The wind nipped at his cheeks and nose, probably giving them a rosy color, but he pressed on.

He's not sure how long Skullcrusher flew. They just kept flying.

A large but unusual spiked glacier caught his attention. Skullcrusher was headed right for it, too. Skullcrusher might have been there before, Stoick realized. Maybe they're near his old home or something.

Stoick let Skullcrusher fly where he wanted, hoping he would land soon. Hours of flying made his back, legs, and butt sore. He'd need to get up soon. He could already feel the dull ache.

Suddenly, Skullcrusher went into a dive. Stoick instinctively clench onto the handles of the saddle. Skullcrusher wasn't one for sudden stunts, unlike Toothless, and it caught him off guard.

"Whoa, Skullcrusher."

Skullcrusher seemed intent on their path, and Stoick was in no mood to discourage him.

Skullcrusher flew them into the giant, spiked glacier. And inside was unlike anything Stoick had ever seen. The ground was caked with a vibrant green grass, the sunlight passing through the ceilings of ice. It was rather warm inside, despite the exterior. Not too warm, but warmer.

Hiccup would've loved this place. There were all kinds of dragons, some he'd never seen or heard of before. And Berk's Book of Dragons had expanded quite a bit since peace. Even without Hiccup's adventurous ambition and his leadership capabilities, the other teens still went out. Mostly it was ordered, for they caused too much destruction with dragons. Still, their many trips away from Berk had benefited his people quite a bit.

Some dragons opened sleepy eyes to spy at him, but most returned to playing or sleeping afterwards. It was like they had seen peaceful humans before. Or had never seen humans before. Either way, only the younglings cared enough to greet him.

Obviously a few months old, they stood waist high to him, and had enough strength to make him stagger. He a hearty bellow, he lowered himself to pet them. He was a friend to dragons after all.

Once the babies started wrestling around again, Stoick walked around. Though it had been a couple hours since he left Berk, he was tired. He was in no particular hurry to return. Besides, Berk was in good hands with Gobber, Spitelout, and the Hofferson girl.

As he went down one of the stone halls (hidden from the outside by the ice) he heard a soft laughter.

It was so similar to his beloved's voice, he thought he was hearing ghosts.

Then it sounded again.

"Oh, Cloudjumper." It sounded slightly off, but could it be? No. His mind was playing tricks on him.

Stoick picked up his pace, pulling out his sword in case he came across an enemy.

He turned the final corner, dropping his sword at the sight of his not- so- late wife.

Startled by the sound, she spun around, also stunned.

"Stoick? Could it be? After twenty years? How is this possible?" she asked.

Shocked into silence, Stoick walked forward. The dragon by his wife growled, but the woman quickly calmed him down. When Stoick crept even closer, she started backing up.

"I know what you're going to say," she rambled, obvious fear and disbelief in her voice. She rambled about him, their son, and the upbringing of their son, but Stoick didn't hear her. "Don't be so stoic, Stoick. Say something!"

They continued their treks until Valka's back hit the wall and Stoick cupped her soft cheek.

"You're as beautiful as the day I lost you," he murmured. He lead her into a gentle kiss, pulling back sooner than he would have liked. "You would've gotten along very well with Hiccup."

"Hiccup?" she asked, her eyes lighting up and darting behind him. "Is he here?"

"No."

"No?"

Stoick teared up. "He's- He's gone. He- He died five years ago, as a hero. He died showing the village that dragons could be our allies. He died proving what you believed in, Val."

Valka lowered her head, tears slipping down her cheeks at the news. At the sorrow of never meeting or knowing her son. Never seeing him on that wonderful Night Fury of his.

"I'm sorry. It was all my fault. I should have protected him."


End file.
